Imagine a room buzzing with bright ideas, lit by the glow of multiple screens, filled with the scent of pizza, and punctuated by conversations with tech gurus. That was the hackathon I attended in September, hosted by a prestigious Ivy League school. Prior to this, I had only attended virtual hackathons which, honestly, just aren’t the same. Coding is about so much more than punching keys; it’s about networking, communicating ideas, and hands-on learning.

A shoutout to my teammates Jaiden, Melvin He, and Chirag! Our collective journey was nothing short of an adrenaline-pumping roller-coaster ride. Although we didn’t bag any awards, the treasure trove of learning and recognition from the sponsors was invaluable. The chance to rub shoulders with brilliant minds was truly an inspiring catalyst for personal growth.


Upon landing in Boston, my stay was made comfortable by a gracious Airbnb host. The hospitality extended beyond just lodging and included helpful tips about must-visit places. It was a pleasant debut with Airbnb. Made my visit that much better.


One of the highlights of the event was when David Malan kicked things off and handed out stress balls. I had first encountered Prof. Malan in high school when I took his CS50 class as a primer on Computer Science. His teaching style inspired me so much that now, as a CS tutor, I take Prof. Malan’s approach to help my students tackle their assignments.



The Contest

While my team was already in place, our project idea was still a mystery when we arrived. With a 36-hour hackathon ticking away, we began our quest for a project with a robust brainstorming session. Our search for a whiteboard to sketch our thoughts consumed some time, but our rescue came from an unexpected quarter - a brilliant mentor. His suggestions sparked our idea - an educational platform akin to Duolingo, designed to teach American Sign Language. Our concept fit perfectly with the hackathon’s theme - Control, Alt, Delete.

Our brainchild, StickySign, is a potential game-changer with far-reaching implications for the disabled community. Due to the time constraints, we utilized a projector to create a real-world dynamic rather than opting for VR modeling with Unity. Our project is open-source, inviting anyone interested in expanding educational opportunities with ASL to contribute. Check out the detailed demo presentation below to see StickySign in action.

Demo presentation

You can read more about the hackathon on this official SEAS Harvard post: https://seas.harvard.edu/news/2022/11/coding-competition-and-coffee